August 15, 2007

Word from the factory floor is that power on should happen within the next 10 days.

UPDATE: After speaking with several people in Everett it looks as though power on will not happen in the next 10 days despite a fervent effort to achieve this goal. 500 of 600 tasks still remain before this can occur. There is a general time line for when this could happen, and will provide an update as soon as one becomes available.

Further, is this a Whole Foods type of thing? Granted, Airbus isn't being trashed. But, if this is a Boeing sponsored site, we ought to know. How many are in the group of creative writers working here? Is this a pseudo-technical blog to fill in much needed information that we've wanted for a very long time?

Second of all... Whoever keeps saying power on will be in the next 10 days needs to be smacked around. Don't beleive whoever said they are an inspector also... they are either drunk, high AND a moron, OR... just plain blind. Retards...

This site is losing what used to be credibility.

Jon... i've warned you to VERIFY what your sources tell you before you post it. They have been feeding you a line of crap time in and time out! This one just takes the cake...

I posted a comment yesterday and you deleted it. Since you apparently didn't agree with my point, I suppose the deletion is your way of saying that all comments are edited and you will only post those that lean in your direction. It's a shame.

To the person who just posted, I deleted no comments. Nor have I ever deleted any (other than spam) in the past. Are you sure it posted properly? I would very much like to hear your comments. Please feel free to post them here.

500 of 600 left with no idea of when things will be done. Not an exact quote, but you get the picture.

I posted under another forum that this is an 'earned value' problem and was laughed at. You see, it is a hard problem to know the future.

Who has 20-20 foresight? Yet, Boeing seems to have fallen into this trap and ought to have known better. I'm sure that it was despite counsellings by knowledgeable engineers.

It's easy for people to poke at Boeing, somewhat like the arm chair quarterback. Some of this could be forestalled if the Company were only a little more clear and open about things.

Planning needs to be an incremental discipline with no more than a few major steps planned in detail. Then, as things progress, forward estimates need to be rolled with new insights (I'm sure that the Air Force knows this, to boot). Mind you, that is planning that is not re-doing something already done (has the 787 been done before?).

You don't plan out several years under something entirely new especially when there are major changes across all sorts of horizons, except in some fuzzy sense (where the fuzziness can be limited somewhat). What did we hear recently? Oodles of bucks are being thrown at the problem now (know about the mythical man month, anyone?).

The thing is, though, that with all the horizontal expansions, how many of these type of gotchas (assuming the information is true - we have to trust jon on that) are in the wing.

Perhaps, we ought to have a contest, like guessing the number of beans in a jar.

Let me put it this way. Ever ride in a car with kids. Are we there yet?

Well, in programs, the engineers are the drivers. The managers are the ones who keep asking (are we there yet?). Or, worse, they categorically say that WE'RE THERE, as if management's imperative overrides reality.

Now, there are engineers who say, ALMOST THERE. Then, they do something that takes them back a few steps (but, hey, this is (ought to be) a learning process). Does anyone know of engineers who try to muddy the waters and keep from finishing?

Earned value isn't the only method, however the problem is to really know where along a series of steps you are (assuming that you know all the steps - well, we got to where there could be a show and tell).

Then, you hope that you have a good mapping from the steps to time, resources, and money. And, that what you do is repeatable (how many things are being done now that is causing Lean & Efficient to pull their collective hairs?).

I have to agree with the comments made by 64plus. He/she has valid points to take into consideration. If the power isnt going to be turned on within the next 10 days, then that's ok. There ARE going to be delays, Boeing knows this, they planned for this. So whats the big deal? None.

The poster, anonymous, who claims to be on the floor and as an inspector (in my humble opinion, please calm down. Nobody is accusing anybody of anything. We all want to see a great product fly successfully. And we know it will. There shouldn't be any reason why you, Mr. anonymous inspector, should be taking things to personally on this site. But then again, you do have a right to an opinion.

Additionally, I have to commend Jon for keeping this site going. I check this daily. Its great to see the 787 Dreamliner come to life slowly! Shes gonna look so good! :-)

I've found Flightblogger to be a well-informed, useful resource of information. While All Boeing, All the Time, Jon sets himself apart from others with factually-based commentary that sets an impersonal standard others should follow.

While sometimes a little too rah-rah for my taste, I think Jon does a good job.

Jon needs to be much more sceptical about Boeing's progress on the 787. It is NOT going per plan. He'd have a stronger following if he pointed out the continuous string of delays and then would dig into the real reasons for these delays.

I read today that a Boeing PR person claimed recently it was typical for first flight to take place 2-3 weeks after first power-on. How can anyone take Boeing seriously when they release such rediculous statements.

First thing is this is a just a Blog that Jon was nice enough to start and maintain. Second is this is not an officially sponsored Boeing web site. The material, thoughts and information gathered here are nothing more that well educated assumptions and guesses based on information gathered through various sources all of which are not official in any sense. The information that Jon provides all of us is at best a good assumption.I for one feel that the Boeing Executives and Shareholders should be required to read this Blog.

I do agree on the fact that time from power on to FF is closer to 3 months than to 3 weeks !Power on is not like switching on home lights... Do not forget that on top of A/C systems you must integrate and check flight test installation as well...

Do not forget that even working 24/7 you cannot be more than 3 guys within cockpit...

Issue for me is that Boeing has very good engineers but an airplane is no more made by engineers but by managers and planning keepers...

I don't think Airbus will gloat over this after the A380 problems. Boeing didn't gloat (at least publicly) over the A380 delays because they knew what happened to them (Boeing) in 1997 and what could happen to the 787. Even in private discussions, the Boeing executives (and certainly the engineers) didn't gloat.

FYI: I was invited by a friend of mine to attend the Boeing family day at the Everett plant yesterday, August 19, 2007. When we arrived inside the building we made a mad dash to the other end of the building to see the 787, and what a surprise to see her in pieces. Both engines were off, all the fusalage and cockpit windows are out, nose cone off, tale rudder was off and being worked on down on the floor in front of the aircraft. She is totally surrounded by scafolding.